Fire Season in West Central...

 

A tipster alerted us to the rash of 'suspicious' fires that seem to be occurring in ever increasing frequency in West Central.  Said tipster recently hit the streets of the WC and made notes of those places of which they were aware had been the victim of a fire.  The result is the map you see here.  Over the past two years, since this person has moved to the neighborhood, they've witnessed/heard about fifteen fires that have damaged or leveled homes in the neighborhood.  We're no Dale Cooper, but fifteen fires in two years seems a bit excessive.  While not all the fires started under 'suspicious' circumstances, it does beg the question: If this were happening elsewhere in the City, and on this scale, would it be getting more attention?  We're just askin'.

Comments

[eco]

That is a very interesting map. It is amazing how many fires there are. It would be interesting to see how many of those properties were owner-occupied. It would also be interesting to see if there were other areas of the City that had so many fires in one small area. Good bye historic homes, hello empty lots. If the problem isn't arson, maybe we need to figure out a way to get homes upgraded before they catch on fire.
Thanks

[Paul]

Ancient homes, antique wiring, and piss-poor maintenance by the owner/slum lord are surely involved, but that once lovely neighborhood (ages ago) is also beset with activities that are prone to fire... namely drugs and the resulting actions of cracked out residents.

[Spokanarama]

I'm a firefighter in the WC neighborhood. I have always been surprised that there aren't more fires here.

When you go into many of these homes, they are packed to the gills. Sometimes you navigate paths with teetering sheer walls of household goods and clothing.

We once had a call on a lady who hadn't been seen in a day a while. When we got into her home, she had passed-on, but her pellet stove was going strong. And on top of the stove was a three-foot high pile of papers. They were barely warm. Amazing!

I think there is some sort of divine protection of this place - one of the last true neighborhoods in Spokane.